Appetizer for the Ages - Cheap and Quick!

'Tis the season for many things, including the last minute invite and the desperate need for an appetizer to bring to your friend and neighbor's house. Here's my pitch for the holidays:

[Shhh - Don't Tell Linda It's] Hot Goat Cheese and Pesto Spread

Ingredients:

6 ounces goat cheese (plain cheap goat cheese, ala Trader Joe's works perfect)
6 ounce container pesto (again, the plain old ordinary Trader Joe's is great here)
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal in 1/4" thick slices
olive oil (about 6 TB, give or take)
crushed/minced garlic - 2 cloves

if you are feeling fancy (and particularly rich in the pocketbook), 2 - 4 ounces marinated sundried or slow-roasted tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Mix your garlic into your olive oil, and lightly brush on top of baguette slices. Toasted in over 10 - 12 minutes or until they begin to brown and get crispy.

3. Mix goat cheese and pesto a mixing bowl with a fork to break up goat cheese. Transfer to small oven-proof bowl or skillet (6" round or thereabouts - a Fiestaware bowl works well too). Spread tomatoes on top.

4. Bake cheese dish for 15 -20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with toasts on the side. Your neighbors will think that you are a culinary genius and love you forever and you will have only spent 10 dollars on the whole project.

And, ps, Linda will never know it's goat cheese regardless....